Automobile garage



May a, 1923. 1,454,348 I R. SWINNERTON AUTOMOBILE GARAGE Filed March 31, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 6 J a y a; hmavraz fly May 8, 1923.

R. SWINNERTON AUTOMOBILE GARAGE Filed March 31, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented 3, i923.

, anew RUPERT swn'mnnron, or MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

aoromomnr: eaieaen.

Application filed March 31, 1920 7 Serial No. 370,121.

To all whom it mag concern:

Be it known that I, RUPERT SWINNERTON, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Minneapolis, county of Hennepin, State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and Relating to Automobile Garages, of which the following is a specification.

TlllS invention relates to certain improvements in garages or storage buildings for automobiles and other vehicles; andthe objects and nature of the invention will be readily understood b those skllled 1n the art in the light of t e following explanations of the accompanying drawings illustrating what I now believe to be the preferred embodiments or mechanical expressions of my invention from among other forms, constructions and arrangements within the spirit and scope thereof.

An object of the invention is to increase to the maximum the automobile parking or storage capacity of garages and storage parks and the ease and facllity with which automobiles can be mani ulated, handled, parked and stored on, an driven onto and from arking and storage floors.

Wit these and other objects in view, my invention consists in certain novel features in construction, arrangement and combination as more fully and particularly set forth and specified hereinafter.

Referring to the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 shows, somewhat diagrammatically, the floor plan of a garage embodying. my invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectlon of a garage embodying my invention, the garage being shown somewhat diagrammatically and on a greatly reduced scale.

Fig. 3 shows somewhat diagrammatically, a modified form of ground or floor plan for a arage embodying my invention.

igs. 4, 5, and 6 are detail views.

In the embodiments illustrated, I provide a building or enclosure 1 of any suitable dimensions and construction, although for purposes of economy and to follow conventional lines of building or garage architecture, I usually erect a rectangular buildin having vertical side walls and any suit-' ab e roof to enclose and cover my parking and storage floor, and this building can enclose or be provided with several automobile parking or storage floors embodying my invention; for instance, a ground floor and an upper floor that can be reached by either elevator or inclined runway from the lower floor, and furthermore in exceedingly congested urban centers my parking or storage floor can be utilized in open or out-of-doors parking or storage parks.

In the particular example illustrated, the garage building 1, is provided with any suitably arranged and constructed supports for the roof 2, although I happen to show center pillars or uprights 3' for this purpose. My invention, however, is not limited to such roof supports.

The particular building shown has a ground floor entrance and exit opening 4, located approximately at the center of the ,width of the building front, although I do not wish to so limit my invention. This door or opening 4 is for the entrance and exit of '75 automobiles to and from the parking or storage floor.

The building is provided with a substantially horizontal level parking and storage floor to and from which automobiles 30 can travel through door or opening 4, and on which automobiles can be manipulated or propelled and stored or parked, and this floor includes a suitable fixed, stationary or permanent part 5 composed of concrete, 8:; earth or other suitable material, and a suitable traveling or transporting horizontal section or portion 6, the top surface of which is substantially flush with the adja cent horizontal fixed floor surfaces. The traveling floor portion 6. is in this instance, annular in form, and of such radial width as to permit parking or storage of automobiles thereon when arranged radially with respect thereto, and the dimensions of'this traveling portion 6 with respect to the fixed portions 5 of the floor, are such as to provide fixed floor storage and parking places within the inner circle of the traveling floor and also outside of the outer circle of said traveling floor.

The traveling floor is rotatable horizontally around a. vertical axis located approximately at the central portion of the building or parking floor as an entirety, and in the examples illustrated, the concrete floor is formed with a depressed annular trough or channel 7, to receive saidannular floor or table 6 and the supportin means therefor.

On the bottom of this ollannel, I show a pair of fixed concentric annular horizontal rails'8, and a fixed annular gear raek 9, and the annular floor section or table 1 s supported by wheels traveling onsald ra ls and is propelled by a vertical shaft carried by the table and rotating a gear meshing with said rack.

The annular table can be of variousconstructions, although in the examples 1llustrated, I show the same made up of an ann'ular series of radial trucks, platforms or sections suitably coupled together and each having supporting wheels traveling on the rails. Each such truck consists of a flat or horizontal top platform 6 (formin a radial section of the traveling-floor or table) having edge depending flanges or aprons 6 and fixed radial axles 6 on which supporting' wheels 6 are freely and independently rotatable. The axles are fixed in suitable depending platform supporting bolsters and the wheels 6 travel on the rails 8. The trucks are arranged edge to edge and are coupled together by suitable bolts or other couplings 6 through the medium of the depending aprons 6".

The traveling table can be provided wlth -a rotary shaft 6 mounted in one of the trucks or sections thereof and at its lower end having gear 6 fixed to the shaft and meshing with rack 9. Above the table this shaft is equipped with means for rotating the same to propel the table. This shaft can be driven manually or by power, and if so desired each table can be equipped with a power driven table propellin shaft and with a manually actuated table propelling shaft. I show the shaft 6 provided with handles 6 for rotating the same, while at a different portion of the table I show another table propelling shaft 6 equipped with an electric motor M for driving the same. However, I do not wish to so limit my invention.

The annular traveling table is so arranged with respect to the floor as an entirety as to provide the approximately annular parking and storage area A of the fixed floor surrounding the table, and the approximately annular parking and storage area B of the fixed floor surrounded by the table. ll'ithin and surrounded by the annular area B I preferably provide the center area C of the fixed floor in which the roof posts 3 (if employed) can be located and which can be otherwise utilized for a driveway and as a gasoline and supply station, The area D of the fixed floor opposite or adjacent to the garage entrance opening 4 and included in the circle of the annular storage space A, forms. what might be termed a driveway vestibule. and in line therewith a driveway E extends diametrically across the areas B, C, so that the radial portion of the traveling examples illustrated, each such platform 6 is of sufficient length and breadth to accomodate an automobile for parking thereon, and to permit parking of automobiles on the table, one car on each such platform of the table where the automobiles are arranged radially with respect to the axes of rotation of the table, and also to permit rotation of the table with the automobiles thereon for the purpose of transporting the automobiles for delivery at various points in the areas A, l), or to receive or deliver automobiles at areas D, E.

In other words. the radial width of the traveling table is suilicient to enable said table to carry and transport motor cars when arranged radially of the table, and to enable the table to receive a large number of radially arranged motor cars located side by side. a

The annular areas A, B, will also receive large numbers of motor cars radially arranged and located side by side so that the cars can be propelled radially of the table to and from the table and the annular spaces A, B.

I preferably visibly divide the top face of the table. and the various storage areas A, B, F, into radial motor car receiving stalls or spaces. one for each radially arranged car, as indicated in the drawings. These stalls can be thus visibly indicated in any suitable manner as by paint lines, or by peculiar formation of the concrete or other floor surface. or by structural means such as bars. chains etc. The motor car spaces or stalls inthe table itself can be visibly indicated by the boundaries of the platforms 6. where the table is thus built up of clearly defined sections. The driveways E, D, can also be visibly defined as indicated in the drawings. in any suitable manner, as by paint lines or by structural formation of the concrete or other floor surface,

A motor car entering the floor through opening 4 and driveway entrance D, is driven over the normally stationary traveling table and along the driveway E and onto the table at the far end of the driveway and there brought to rest, if such car is to be parked in any stall or area outside of the outer circle of the traveling table. The traveling table is then propelled/until the attests motor car 'is'brought in line with the stall in annular area A where the car is to be parked.

' The table is then brought to rest and the car is propelled therefrom into said stall. When the car is to be taken from the garage, it is backed from the stall onto the table, and the table is then rotated until the car is in line with driveway entrance D whereupon the table is stopped and the car can be driven forward from the garage. The car on entering the garage can be driven onto the table from driveway entrance D and then brought to rest, and the table can be rotated to bring the car into line with either a stall in annular area B or a stall in annular'area A. The car can then be backed from the table to the stall in area A or driven forward to the stall in area B. llowever, the rear car can be delivered by the table from either stall, so that the car can be driven forward from the table at the driveway entrance D, in leaving the garage, and by utilizing the driveway E, and stopping the cars on the table either at driveway entrance D, or at the far end of driveway E, cars can be delivered for direct forward driving from the garage, without necessitating turning the cars around except through transportation by the table.

Cars can be parked and stored in the various areas A, B, and removed therefrom without disturbing'other parked cars, and cars can also be stored on the table itself without disturbing other cars and without interfering with the reception and delivery of cars by the table so long as one or two stalls on the table are unoccupied by stored or parked cars.

By arranging the table 6 eccentrically with respect to outer annular storage area A, Fig. 3, I can arrange radial stalls agradually increasing in length from the entrance driveway D toward the far end of the drive.-

wvay- E to provide for cars of difi'erent lengths, whereby a saving in space is attained.

It is evident that various changes, modifications and variations might be resorted to without departing from the spirit and sco e of my invention and hence I do not Wis to limit myself to the exact disclosures hereof."

Desiring to secure the broadest protection legally possible, what I claim is 1. A vehicle parking and storage floor embodying an annular rotary vehicle distributing and collecting area, a surrounding adjacent annular floor area and a central floor area, the arrangement being such that vehicles may be distributed directly from said rotary area to storage position on the adjacent floor areas.

2. A vehicle parking and storage floor embodying an annular rotary vehicle storage and transporting table, a vehicle stortable," and avehicle storage and driveway area adjacent to and surrounding said table, whereby vehicles may be distributed directly table.

3. A' vehicle parking" and storage floor embodying fixed and rotary. vehicle parkmg and driveway areas, the rotary area embodyling an annular vehicle transportin and parking table adjacent to and surroun' ed by said fixed'areas.

4. A garage having a vehicle parking and driveway floor embodying an annular rotary vehicle transporting table constructed and arranged to carry a plurality of radially arranged vehicles, whereby a vehicle may be transported to position for discharge directly from said table to the desired section of the adjacent fixed parking and driveway floor.

5. A parking floor for vehicles embodying an annular rotary table constituting a portion of the floor area, a fixed floor area surrounded by said table, and a fixed floor area surrounding said table, said table and fixed areas being so arranged that vehicles can travel from area to area and across said table, said table constructed and arranged to transport vehicles and to carry a. plurality of vehicles radially arranged thereon.

6. A parking floor for-vehicles embodying an annular fixed floor area having radially arranged vehicle parking spaces and a diametrical driveway, an annular rotary ve-- hide-transporting table forming an annular floor area surrounding said fixed floor and having radially arranged vehicle parking spaces, and a fixed floor area surrounding said rotary table and having radially arranged vehicle parking-spaces and an exit and entrance driveway.

7. A vehicle parking floor embodying an annular" movable area formed by a rota vehicle transporting and parking table, a

' cles, and fixed floor areas surrounded by and surrounding said rotary area and approximately flush therewith for travel of vehicles onto and from said rotary area" and providing a vehicle driveway to and from an entrance and exitand'across said rotary and central areas. I

9. A vehicle parking floor having an annular depressed trough having fixed rails, and a rotary vehicle transporting table to said storage areas by rotating said forming an annular portion on? the flour andl embodying. an annular series of wheeledl trucks coupled together and having supporting wheels traveling on said rails, saw

0 table having pro elling means including arack and a prom ling shaft having operating means.

eena la I 10. A vehicle parking andl storing flew? embeclying fixecl and rotary vehicle parking and driveway areas, the rotary area embodying an annular vehicle trans eating anol parking table adjacent to sai fixed parking areas.

' RUPERT SWINNERTUN. 

